Scarlet Street

April 3rd, 2015

Episode description

“I’ve wanted to laugh in your face ever since I first met you. You’re old and ugly and I’m sick of you! Sick! Sick! Sick!"

Fritz Lang may have often had conflicts with his producers, but when he turned out a great film, he made so great that it’s easy to look past his argumentative nature and just focus on the end product. Well, perhaps more so now than at the time. Sure, he had his stinkers, but looking at a magnificent film like “Scarlet Street,” it’s easy to forgive any battles he started and just relish the brilliance of the story. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Film Noir series with Lang’s 1945 masterpiece, “Scarlet Street.” We delve into the murky depths of the theme of the story — is it one more of guilt or one more of jealousy? We wallow in the emasculated character of Christopher Cross, played by Edward G. Robinson, and his nemeses Kitty and Johnny, played by Joan Bennett and Dan Duryea. We dig in the shadows of Fritz Lang’s history and the cinematic tools he uses to tell his story here along with his cinematographer, his editor, and his composer. And we lose ourselves in the haunting paintings of John Decker, wondering if he really lacks perspective just like Cross does. It’s a fabulous film and a very strong representation of film noir. Definitely check this one out — there’s a gorgeous print of it out there which makes the film look brand new — then tune in to the show!

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